A Tale of Love Part Three
by camillia659
Summary: Sorry I don't have the other chapters with this one, there was a problem with my e-mail address...but ENJOY! and review, please!


A Tale of Love- Part Three!!!

Okay, due to problems with my old e-mail address, I had to create a new account to continue A Tale of Love, so I'm sorry that you can't do the chapter swap thing. For everyone who is new to A Tale of Love, I'd recommend reading the other chapters, under the same title, A Tale of Love. Anyway, Christian and Toulouse have traveled back to London for Christian's father's funeral, and they have just run into someone they never thought they'd see again in a bar. Read and review please! Thanks. 

Nini's face was older. Her face had a tired look to it, bored almost. Her hair was still black, but it looked thinner and stringy. For once, she wasn't wearing one of her extravagant outfits with the high, dramatic collars. She wore a plain blue skirt with a white blouse. But Christian knew that she hadn't given up her former job. The blouse was tight, accenting all her curves. Her skirt was slightly hitched up to see her long, lovely legs. Her arm was draped around a man's shoulder. He looked drunk, even in the afternoon. His suit was rumpled and wrinkled, but it was obvious that he came from money. Christian was shocked to see her like that. To Christian, Nini was the complete epitome of a whore. But now, if he hadn't known her, and she was dressed differently, then he would have mistaken her for any other lady. For one thing, the laughter and light was gone from her eyes. When she spoke to the man, her voice was quiet and soft, nothing like her old bawdy voice. Suddenly, her eyes, which didn't have the heavy layers of eye shadow and eye liner, took in Christian. They took on a look of wistfulness followed by amusement.

"Well, if it en't our poet from the moulin...done mourning over your lost diamon'?" Nini asked, trying to be her old self, but failing. After Nini made that remark, Christian expected to be angry. Instead, he was hit with one of the emotions that were so rare to him after Satine's death. He felt intense sadness towards Nini. Although she never showed it, Nini had loved Satine. Nini again tried to put on her old, familiar smirk, but the sadness was just too intense. Toulouse was delighted.

"Nini! Hewwo! How have you been? How is wife treating you? Hmm? Still putting on your owd act? Hmm? Is it still Nini-Wegs-in-the-Air? Or have you tuwned away fwom the wife of SIN?" Toulouse wouldn't shut up. The man with Nini tapped his foot impatiently. Nini shot him a glance. 

"'Ang on, love, I've got ta talk to 'em, for old times sake?" She got a coquettish look in her eyes, and glanced down at his genital area. 

"Oh, all right, Paris, but don't take too long, m'dear...I believe we have some business to attend to..." he said as he stroked her face, then he turned and sat down at the bar, and began to chat with the barkeeper. 

"Oh, so now you go by Pawis, eh? Just wemember! You can't wun fwom your past!" Toulouse laughed. Nini rolled her eyes, a gesture that Christian remembered she did often back at the Moulin.

"Toulouse, d'ya think y'could pipe it down a little? I've got a lot of clients here...dun want to scare 'em off, now do we?" Nini laughed, but it was a strained, tired laugh. 

"Yes, Toulouse, people are starting to stare," Christian said, glancing at his dwarf friend. Nini quickly looked at Christian in surprise. She was obviously astonished about the change in his voice. Toulouse suddenly grinned.

"Ah, I see how it is! Well, you don't have to wowwy about me, I wiww just go and have a dwink!" Toulouse went over to a table and began making conversation with a group of women, who were obviously in the same professional field as Nini.

"Nini. I can't believe that you're here. Where have you been? What have you been doing since..."Christian's voice trailed off, and embarrassed, he looked down at the gritty, dirty floor. Nini also looked away.

"Well, uh, after....after...after...it happened...I was left on the streets of Montmarte, and then I "found" opium and Absinthe, if y'know what I mean, there, eh? Well, one day, I was very busy. I did six hand jobs, four bouts of oral, and then three straight ups. I took the money I had made, and I spent it awl on Absinthe and some opium. I took it back to the flat I'm sharin' with Angelique, d'you remember 'er? The real chunky one? Always eatin'? Well, I spent three days doing nothin' but drinking and moaning about my life, which had come down to shit. When Angelique came home, she found me in a coma. I was taken to a hospital, and then when I got out, I couldn't stand to be in Montmarte, so I fled 'ere. I wanted in the worst way to start a new life, away from just bein a 'ore. But I couldn't. So I went to a 'orehouse, and the mistress put me ta work with the young virgin boys, most who were there with their da's, as a coming of age present or something. I 'ated it. They awl were shaky, scared, and some of them even slapped me if I tried to comfort them, y'know? Soon, I got moved up and I was making the most money out of any of the other 'ores. As awful as my life seemed, in a way it was wat I always wanted. It was the equivalent to Satine's position at the Moulin. My jobs were only to the richest, most powerful men 'oo came to get some. And that's wat I've been doin'..." Nini trailed off as Christian sat silently. When he told her what had happened to him since Satine's death, Nini clucked her tongue in sympathy at parts, and in other parts, she sighed deeply. When Christian finally looked at the dusty clock in the corner, he saw that he was on the verge of being late for his father's funeral. Just at the moment, Toulouse noticed also what time it was, and he tore himself away from his new lady friends, whom he had been giggling and teasing at, and he came over to Christian.

"Come awong, Cwistian, we can't be wate for the funewal..." Toulouse said gently. Christian stood up from the flimsy card table he had been sitting at, and he put his coat on. Nini stood up also. 

"I'd love to see you again, Christian. Are you free t'night?" Nini asked quietly. Christian was shocked at the notion of being alone with any woman except for Satine. But then again, there was no way in hell that he would sleep or do anything that was unethical with Nini. He agreed, and Nini's gentleman friend stood up quickly. He looked appalled at the notion.

"I'm sorry, sir, but there is not a single thing that you can do that will stop me from insisting on accompanying you two," he said firmly, while glaring at Nini. Nini frowned, and then got a sad look in her eyes. 

"I'm sorry, Christian, but he'll have to come. I hope you don't mind horribly..?" Nini asked, looking pleadingly into Christian's dark, emotionless eyes. In his mind, Christian called Nini's client every horrible and dirty name he knew. 

"Of course I don't. So, I'll see you tonight then, same place?" Christian managed to say politely. They agreed on a time, and then he and Toulouse set out for Christian's old home. When they arrived at the large house with the foreboding spiked, black iron gate, Christian felt a wave of fear wash over him. Toulouse noticed, and patted him on the back before Christian swatted him away as one would do with an annoying fly. He stepped through the gate, about to walk into a house that would eventually give him even more pain and grief. 

Okay! I hope that you enjoyed Part Three, and Part Four should be up real soon! Thanks for reading!


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